Jim Ferlo
Democrat, PA Senator, 38th since 2003. The 38th Senate district covers parts of Allegheny, Armstrong, and Westmoreland counties. * Former City Council President of Pittsburgh, 1988-2003 (two term Council President) * As a State Senator, Jim Ferlo voted no on the bailout for Pittsburgh in November, 2004. * Ferlo became a member of the URA Board, appointed by Bob O'Connor in 2006. Links * State Senate page * Bob O'Connor Media * Hate_crime-news-Ferlo Jim Ferlo wants to make hate crime a top piority in Pennsylvania. * Ferlo's presence looming larger at city hall from P-G, August, 2006 -- Mayor's business friends thicken their web in his absence Blogs * Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events: Ferlo's presence looming larger at city hall Poor, poor Jim Ferlo. He says he doesn't have anything... * Jim Ferlo.com, campaign site, without an issues page as of May 2006. Insights Allegheny Cemetery Historical Society, Allegheny-Kiski Valley Historical Society, Alle-Kiski Coalition, Allegheny Valley Chamber of Commerce, American Public Health Association, Casino Theatre Renovation Foundation, Coalition to Counter Hate Crime, Democratic State Committee, Firearms Owners Against Crime, Highland Park Community Club, Hyde Park Museum Historical Room, Lawrenceville United, Lawrenceville Corporation, Lawrenceville Moose #581, Preservation Pittsburgh, NAACP - life member, Roaring Run Watershed, Sierra Club, Son's of Italy - Lodge 2746, Strongland Chamber of Commerce, Victorian Vandergrift Museum and Historical Society, American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta; Board Member Port of Pittsburgh Committee He contributed to Bob O'Connor's mayoral campaign in 2004. He's an avid supporter of historic preservation. Statement from Jim Ferlo about the referendum for the 2006 general election Legislature Passed the Buck on November Ballot Referendum by Sen. Jim Ferlo on 10.16.06 There are ways in which the Pennsylvania Legislature has led that make me proud: I voted to enact and expand the R&D Tax Credit, PACE, and CHIP programs. Then, there are ways in which the Pennsylvania Legislature has failed the electorate. I fought and voted against the pay raise debacle and I am still waiting for a lobbyist disclosure law. In the example of the 33,000 Pennsylvania veterans of the Gulf War for whom state combat bonuses have yet to be authorized, the Legislature passed the buck to the voters, and sought a patriotic device in place of a responsible, honorable vote to award bonuses directly from the budget. House Bill 1820 passed both houses, was signed, and became Act 29 of 2006. I was the lone "No" vote in the process for several reasons, foremost was that our veterans deserve better. We owe them an honest commitment or we do not deserve their sacrifice. The bill authorized a referendum that will appear on the November ballot, not payments. If the Legislature had the will to act as patriots rather than patronize like bureaucrats, the vote would have been to authorize payments from the Commonwealth’s budget. Instead, voters are asked to vote to take on the debt and interest payments of a bond issue. A fiscal estimate, prepared by the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee estimates that, not only will county boards of elections waste $200,000 (whether the measure passes or not) to advertise the voter referendum question, but the original $20 million in debt will actually cost taxpayers $30.485 million over the life of the bonds with the incurred interest payments and consultant fees. In 1992, Pennsylvania voters rejected a $25 million bond issue that would have compensated Gulf War veterans and would have provided money to build a veterans' memorial. On November 7th, 2006, voters will choose whether to swallow the poison pill of decades of debt or to vote against the burden of a bond issue. Either way, a disservice was done to our soldiers by playing politics with our obligation to them. Ferlo